Stacy Horn

This picture doesn’t truly capture the adorableness of Bali. Or how loving he is. You wouldn’t be able to resist him either, trust me.

OR, I’ve been infected with toxoplasma and he’s actually hideous.

I write and talk a lot about the fact that convicts from the Workhouse were used as nurses and attendants over at the Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island (with predictably bad results).

But in 1875, a Training School for Nurses was launched on the island. The idea of professional, educated nurses was still a very novel development, although nursing schools had already been in operation since 1873 at Bellevue and other hospitals in New England. The two year program at Blackwell’s was open to women between twenty and thirty-five years old, who could present certificates affirming their moral character and health.

Apparently looks were as important as moral character and health (intelligence was not mentioned). From the 1875 Department of Public Charities and Correction Annual Report:

“The sensitiveness of many patients requires that nurses should have nothing disagreeable or repulsive in their outward appearance. (Any facial skin disease or defect is a sufficient cause for disqualification.) A hoarse or screechy voice, offensive breath and perspiration, may also cause much annoyance to patients.”

The entrance to the hospital, taken later, in the 20th century.

I spent an afternoon browsing images in the Municipal Archives collections, and hitting +++ on all the pictures of Blackwell’s Island which had people in them. This is a picture of a man in one of the hospitals.

It makes me think of Father Herman Blumensaat’s comments about Almshouse inmates from the Woodstock Letters (the Almshouse was the last resort for homeless paupers.)

“Poor creatures, as a rule, they are lost for this world … They walk listless to their grave, for it is their only hope and even the desire of many. Often do I hear, ‘Father, I want to die.’”

A friend posted this picture from a bookstore to Facebook. Made my day!! Thank you, Sue!!

The world was ending and we all knew it. Everyone was watching the sunset together because it would be the last one. Once the sun set it would never rise again. Even though we knew it was coming for some time, as the sky darkened it became real for the first time. I watched and fully comprehended that this was it for humanity.

Then, unexpectedly, it started to become harder and harder to breath. We were losing oxygen somehow and we were all gasping for breath. We thought we were going to have a little more time. The sun would set for the last time and then things would all go south, but not right away. We’d have time to adjust. But we were all going to die right then and there. It was a terrible shock. And terribly frightening. The temperature started to rise a little. There was a sort of electric feeling in the air. No escape, this is it.

Then I woke up, and of course realized this was simply a most transparent metaphor. Death must always be such a terrible surprise even though we all know it’s coming. I’m going to start stock-piling valium.

These are people starting to gather for a talk I gave at Brooklyn Bridge Park. I felt like I was addressing senators in ancient Rome.